ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: snap · lash · spell · saw · fall · bank · ball · lie

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. bank — for money
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. saw — the tool
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. spell — magic
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a dance
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fall — the season
  16. bank — of a river
  17. fall — to drop
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. fall — to drop
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bank — for money
  23. spell — a short time
  24. snap — to click

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com